31.8.16

Tension As EFCC Arrests Ebonyi State Governor Umahi’s Brother

As the fight against corruption takes unprecedented turns in Nigeria, the EFCC searchlight has beamed on Governor Umahi‘s brother.Austin Umahi, the brother to the current governor of
Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has been arrested by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The man was arrested along with two others Chinyere Egwuche and Mabel
Dikibo over a N400m slush fund linked to the 2015 presidential campaign
of the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to PM News, the suspects, all staff of Brass Engineering
& Construction Nigeria Limited and Osborn La-Palm Royal Resort, were
arrested for refusing to honour invitations by the EFCC over an ongoing
investigation of both companies.
While Austin Umahi doubles as chairman of both companies, Chinyere
Egwuche and Marbel Dikibo are also signatories to the companies’
accounts.
EFCC investigators alleged that the Director of Finance of the PDP
Presidential Campaign Organisation, Nenadi Usman released N400m to the
Ebonyi State chapter of the PDP for the 2015 presidential election.
The said fund, the investigators said, was moved from Fidelity Bank
Abakaliki on March 27, 2015, to an Access Bank, Abakaliki, account,
where one Maxwell Umahi further moved N100, 000,000 and N300, 000,000
respectively into the accounts of Brass Engineering & Construction
Nigeria Limited and Osborn La-Palm Royal Resort respectively.
One of the suspects, Chinyere Egwuche, subsequently withdrew the N300
million paid into the account of Osborn La-Palm, which according to
her, was used to finance the construction of Osborn La-Palm Hotels in
Abakaliki, Uburu and Port Harcourt, while the N100m paid into the
account of Brass Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited was
transferred to a certain David Umahi Faith Foundation.
Although investigation is still ongoing, EFCC operatives said the
companies to which the funds were transferred were traced to the Ebonyi
State governor.